This little article is a bit about me and maybe about others who have a stutter. I can’t exactly remember when I started stuttering but I think it I was 6 years old when it became evident I had a stutter. These days my stutter is largely under control (although does reappear when I’m tired, stressed and certain letters / words still get me).

I was very fortunate to have some wonderful help when I was a child from some Speech Therapists who gave me some great techniques and tools to help me when I come up against the above situations or when I have to say certain letters or words.

When I say please let me finish, there was an incident over the weekend where I was struggling to say a word and the person I was with, ended up starting the word for me, probably thinking I needed help. I’m unsure about other people who stutter, but for me that is the worse. I would rather try and try and try to say the word than have someone start or finish the word for me. I appreciate that the other person is thinking ‘gosh he needs some help so I will say the word’ but this isn’t the case for me.

Looking back, I’ve got some funny stories about my stutter, albeit they weren’t funny at the time (try reading a speech out loud during your College years to your English class with a stutter or trying to ask a young lady out over to the movies with a stutter).

Anyway, it might just be me that likes to complete a word or sentence when I am stuttering!! I know a couple of well-known Kiwi Tech Entrepreneurs who are pretty proud of being able to do what they have a stutter – Rod Drury from Xero fame and Rollo Wenlock from Wipster fame.

If you do stutter you may want to get involved with this research which was just announced last week (I’ve signed up) - https://www.geneticsofstutteringstudy.org.au/

If you have some time and are interested in seeing how people can move forward with their stuttering, this Channel 4 documentary called “Stammer School” always gets me welled up  but I love it - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xmFrv2lHnM